Screens/Reviews

The Iron Claw
Where: In theatres
What: Movie, 130 mins.
When: Fri., Dec. 22
Genre: Drama
Rating: NNNN (out of 5)
Why you should watch: Masterfully tells fact-based story of wrestling family plagued by “a curse” as inseparable brothers navigate corrosive father and showbiz wrestling world. Great performances.

A SUPERB CAST that will get lots of Oscar attention stars in a well-told tale about real-life wrestling royalty, the Von Erlichs.

Labelled “cursed” for the tragedy that stalked their success atop the show-biz-fuelled world of pro wrestling in the ’80s, they’re led by a rigid, ruthless and domineering father, Fritz Von Erlich (Holt McCallany). Fritz himself was a one-time pro turned wrestling producer and manager of his handful of sons, all of whom he wanted to be stars in the game.

Fritz’s relentless pressure was immense, and with all his sons determined to please their punishing parent, the siblings formed an unbreakable bond while taking a brutally serious approach to wrestling that much of the world sees as “fixed.”

Fixed or not, the crushing physicality of their body blows and relentless training comes across in powerful performances from a stellar cast. The lead actors have undergone Hulk-like transformations for their roles. And boy does Oscar love it when actors transform for a part — start working on those speeches fellas.

Two of the hottest male stars of the moment, Zac Efron and The Bear’s Jeremy Allan White, deliver award-worthy performances that go well beyond physical transformation to powerfully portray brothers desperate to please their father and protect and be loyal to each other.

Big brother Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron) and middle brother Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) are the most desperate to please their father and proudly carry the family name to new glory. They routinely risk everything — including mental and physical health, relationships and more — in a single-minded effort to please their father’s relentless demands and advance the Von Erich brand.

There’s a desperate, Raging Bull quality to the gruelling, realistic wrestling scenes — ironically, hyper-real mayhem in a sport accused of falseness.

Both Efron and White will deserve all the attention they’ll get during Oscar season.

In a family where saying the wrong thing can lead to a smack in the head (or worse), both actors communicate a world of meaning through glances, subtle movements and looks filled with longing.

Their actions in the ring might be big, brutal and bombastic, but their performances are filled with subtle nuance, their portrayal of the wrestlers never descending into cliches.

Writer and director Sean Durkin’s resume is packed with horror and dark films including the TV series Dead Ringers (2023) as well as creepy features, including The Nest (2020) and James White (2015) but the “horror” in The Iron Claw is played with restraint. The father’s rage is expressed by an icy stare and implied threats, devastating in their own way but more subtle than a slap.

The Iron Claw’s only misstep is a bizarre “fantasy” scene late in the film that I won’t mention further in the interest of spoilers. It’s jarringly unnecessary in an otherwise highly measured movie.

The Iron Claw is raw, riveting and resists overplaying larger-than-life characters. It’s one of the year’s best.